


Fractured

by Anniebee420



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:49:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22215844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anniebee420/pseuds/Anniebee420
Summary: Adelaide Chase was always chasing a dream, living in the past trying to find her way. Five years after the resistance had won the great war she struggled to find her place. Traveling beyond the outer reaches in search of an ancient temple she found more than what she was looking for. A rising evil and an enemy turned ally thought dead. But could she trust him to keep her safe?**On a temporary hiatus**
Relationships: Ben Solo/Original Female Character(s), Poe Dameron/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> A/N So I am very excited for this one and am wondering what you all think. Please read, like and review. Thanks in advance! 

**Fractured**

**By: Anna Becker**

**Chapter One**

She felt eyes watching her. They had been on her since she had landed two days ago. She was supposed to be isolated, this planet had no registered forms of human life and yet it was there. At first she had assumed it was an animal or creature of some sort but these eyes felt intelligent and very human. She wasn’t sure what exactly she expected this was the site of something very old and very powerful. Maybe it was remnants of those long dead and yet she couldn’t shake it. She had even had her trusty reprogramed blue battle droid scan for any signs of life.

“I detect no human life Miss.” KD had spouted to her in a mechanical female voice. She had saved the droids several years before from the scape yard mostly out of boredom and curiosity. She liked old things and since she had put some much effort into it, it had become not only her most cherished possession but also her constant companion. It was better to talk to a droid instead of actual people.

“KD how many times have I asked you call me by my first name. You can drop the miss.” It exasperated her sometimes with the droids correctness.

“So sorry Miss Adelaide.” She signed at her droid once again.

“Addy, Addy will do. Now help me clear away some of this rubble. I would like to get into that lower section before mid day.”

“Shall I send out a locator beacon?”

“No.” Was her very quick reply. “Not until I know for sure that I have something. No need to get everyone in an uproar until then.

“I’m sure General Dameron would like a report on your progress.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he would but since this mission wasn’t approved or known about I don’t think he needs to know.”

“He will not be pleased.”

“He never is. Look, KD Poe has too much to worry about that he doesn’t need to worry about me. Now if I find something reportable then I will let him know until then we maintain radio silence, okay?” Negotiating with a droid was always oh so fun with their no nonsense approach to life and well the truth. The truth well the truth was no one knew where she was or even that she was leaving, a decision she had made long ago. Five years before she had lost her brother, her only family to the resistance during the final battle at Exegol. Poe, whom had been Alec’s best friend had felt responsible and taken on the role of big brother, the highly over protective big brother. In her mind’s eye he still saw her as the tiny little girl who would chase after her big brother and his friends. She had admired her brother and x-wing pilot her whole life, a life that had come crashing down with his ship. Poe had tried to fill the void in his very Poe way but he too had other worries. He was a general now, responsible for helping to set up the new government, always on the go always on the move. She admired him just as much as her brother but he wasn’t Alec. Alec had been so full of life and had always been the only one to ever understand her and her ways. Most just passed it off as a hobby even the Jedi girl Rey who she thought would have been at least interested but wasn’t.

Addy loved history, Jedi and Sith history. She would devour anything she came across, anything she could find. That was why she had trained as an archaeologist. She loved finding artifacts but after the recent war people seemed less likely wanting to know about it, hearing about it so her interest eventually became a lost cause, just not to her. She was a firm believer that those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Ignoring what was out there was a disservice to everyone, at least in her opinion and as she learned a very unpopular opinion. She and Poe had had a huge argument the night before she left. She loved him like a brother but Rey had been right when she had said he was a difficult man. He had a heart of gold but was stubborn to a fault. Which was why she had left in the early morning light, stealing a small transport ship which she had stowed all her gear and her beloved droid. She had left a message with BB8 telling Poe she was sorry but it was something she had to do.

Two months before she had come across some old text that she had found hidden away in a long forgotten library on the outer rim. She had been searching for forgotten artifacts in the idea of creating a bit of a rare collection. Her thought was eventually someone would care and when they did she would grant them access before all was lost. Too much history had been lost already and she was a firm believer in restoring it. She had come across a very old book stacked way in the back. Its old binding brittle to the touch but she was drawn too it. What got her attention was not only had she found a collection of old stories but that it had been written by Jedi and Sith alike and it spoke of a temple hidden away beyond the far reaches. It was believed that this was the first Jedi temple. Rather that was to be believed or not she wasn’t sure but she needed to find out. That meant, however traveling further than she had ever gone, further than Exegol, beyond the far reaches. No one alive knew what was out there but the thing that scared her the most was that the text also mentioned an ancient evil so powerful that both Jedi and Sith had fought side by side to defeat it. So if there was something more powerful out there shouldn’t people know. That was her thinking even though the people around her stated it was just an old fairy tale she believed it. Fairy tales started from somewhere.

It was well past mid day when KD and Addy had finally cleared away enough rubble to get to where she wanted to be. She had found what she believed was at least in part an old temple. Rather it was _that_ old temple she had yet to be determined. This particular planet had been first on her list of coordinates of where it might be or at least lead her in the right direction. She had just pushed a huge rock away and had stopped to wipe her brow. The planet was a lush green beautiful almost peaceful planet but dang it was hot, sticky, jungle like. Not something she overly enjoyed.

“Miss Adelaide my sensors detect a cavern of sorts beneath us.”

“Really?” She asked trying to keep the excitement from her voice.

“Approximately 140 meters down.”

“Well that’s not too bad. Do you detect anything else?” KD was silent for a moment.

“I detect nothing.”

“Nothing? As in not life?”

“As in nothing.” Strange she thought to herself but then again if this was a jedi temple of sorts lingering force energy might be here.

“Well let’s take a look shall we.” She went to where KD indicated finding a small crevice large enough for her to slip into. Lying on her stomach she peaked into it finding nothing but darkness. “Hey KD you wanna hand me a light?” To which the droid passed her a small flash light which she shown down into the hole. Still darkness. Her next step was to chuck a few rocks down it to see if she could hear them hit bottom. She never heard them hit. Her next step was to break a few glow sticks and send them down, the light seemed to just disappear, never hitting anything. “You said 140 meters, right?” She should have at least heard something.

“That is correct.”

“That’s weird right?” She asked the droid not really expecting an answer. “So I guess our next step is to go down.”

“Might I make a suggestion Miss Adelaide?” The droid asked her. Addy made an sound of annoyance but indicated for it to continue. “There is a storm moving in, perhaps we wait until it passes.” Addy looked up at the sky noticing for the first time the quickly gathering clouds.

“Yeah, your right. Let’s gather the tools and make our way back to camp.” One thing she had learned rather quickly when she had first landed here was the daily storms. They would move in quickly bringing with it floods of rain, thunder and lightning. It usually came right before sunset and was known to last for hours. Nights on this planet were anything but fun.

The rains came just as they had made it back to camp which really was just her ship. She had set a tent up at one point but after the first night of rain she had choice instead to sleep aboard her ship. It was safer anyway even though it was small. She had set KD up for charging and after a measly meal of rations she curled up with a light blanket laying on her small bed roll which she had placed near the entrance to her ship. She knew leaving the ship open wasn’t the safest thing but closed up it became insufferable hot once the rain past, leaving a thick stickiness about. She lay there for a moment watching the rain pour down from the sky and the lightning lighting up the whole valley. It was in these moments that she missed her family. The one she was born to and the one she had created. She hadn’t wanted to run away, not really but she knew she had to do this. She just hoped that when she went back she would be forgiven. Poe was liable to lock her away and throw away the key. But if she found what she thought was out there then maybe just maybe she would be forgiven.

Another thing that kept her awake were the dreams, dreams that all started differently but always ended the same. It would be dark, wet and she could feel her heart pounding, she had heard a voice in her head telling her to run and she would blindly. Then she would fall, tripping and falling head over heal down an embankment. Then she would look up to see a figure looming above her but was it friend or foe. Then it would say her name, not Addy but Adelaide. She would always wake up with a start, looking around and out into the darkness for answers as if someone had called her name but none would come. She would then fall back into a restless sleep forgetting about it until morning.

What she didn’t know was the eyes that were watching were indeed human full of pain, guilt and sadness, eye that watched her through the day and over her during the night. Something drew her to him. What he didn’t know. This wasn’t like the last time when he could reach out to someone, this was different. She was different. While she slept he would approach her ship, circle it touching the metal haul as if searching for answers, answers he didn’t even know the questions to. He would see her dreams, her fear, she feared the dark no matter how much she tried to hide it. She feared failure and she feared being alone even though she didn’t really prefer people she didn’t want to be forgotten. Feelings he himself had had in the past and understood so well.

Once he had made his trip around her ship he would crouch just outside the entrance watching her, observing her, standing guard over her. Once she would wake from her dreams he would put her back to sleep with a slight wave of his hand. She needed to be watched over and like a faithful knight he would stand guard. He would stand guard until he could figure out why this girl called to him, why he felt the need to watch her. Five years ago he had left everything behind, faked his own death and disappeared into oblivion so why now had she come to him? What was she looking for? Who was she and why did he need her to see him?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

“What do you mean she’s not here?!” Poe Dameron had a voice that carried. When upset it was loud, to the point and usually dripping with sarcasm and frustration. This time it was directed at the unfortunate soul who had just delivered the news that his adopted sister had disappeared. That girl was going to be the death of him.

“I went to go talk to her this morning and she was gone, all her things, her droid. BB8 said she left a message.”

“What was the message Rey!” He shouted at the small Jedi girl who he also considered a sister. He was quickly losing patience. Addy was his responsibility and if she went and did something stupid….

“If you would stop shouting at me I would tell you.” Rey was one of the few who would call him out on his bullshit; Addy on the other hand always seemed to shut down. He should have seen the signs; he should have listened to her. Instead he had dismissed her again telling her she was chasing fairy tales. She always had a strong opinion on what she believed in no matter how fantastical it was. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face in frustration.

“Sorry.” He added to which she gave him a curt nod in return. She motioned for BB8 to enter the room. The little droid seemed to be hiding from him due to his outburst. BB8 seemed to have a soft spot for pretty little irritating girls. Since Rey and Addy had entered the picture the once extremely loyal droid seemed to have switched sides. Not that he minded because at least the girls had a companion but during situations like this it frustrated him. “Come on in buddy. What did she leave with you?’ He tried to use a soothing voice but BB8 seemed to rock back and forth nervously as if afraid of another outburst. Great now his droid was afraid of him. BB8 hummed softly. “I’m not yelling.” It whistled. “No I’m not…! Look I’m just worried can you show me the message, please.” Reluctantly BB8 turned on his projector. An image of Addy was displayed. She looked defeated, yet determined as she straightened herself before the droid. It was evident that she had been crying. That alone cut Poe to the core.

“You ready BB?” She had asked. “Oh, right…Hi Poe. If you are seeing this then you have figured out that I am gone, not forever just for a little while.” She looked away for a moment as if to gain her confidence and stared right back. “Look, I know you don’t want me to go that you are just trying to protect me and I love you for that truly but I need to do this. I know you don’t believe me but there is something out there and I need to find it and if I don’t then you can tell me you told me so and I will let you hold it over my head for as long as you need to. But if I’m right, wouldn’t you rather we are prepared? I know it’s a long shot and once you receive this message I will be way out of radio range but I will send a beacon once I find something. Don’t worry about me, even though I know you will. I’ll be okay. I have KD and everything you and Alec taught me. You are a good brother and I love you but I need this. Please don’t hate me, not forever. Give everyone else my love and I will see you soon.” She looked down at her feet and shuffled slightly. “I guess…I guess that’s it for now. Love you.” With that her image was gone. The office was quiet. BB8 seemed to be sulking, Poe defeated and Rey unsure of everything.

“So that’s it then? What now?” Rey asked not sure rather to be angry or hurt that she had left so suddenly.

“I don’t know Rey? She wants to do this. She’s stubborn.” Poe was unusually subdued which worried the girl.

“Well we can’t just leave her out there.”

“We’re not even sure where she is or where she is going. I should have listened to her, I shouldn’t have upset her.” Guilt was eating away at him.

“I should have listened to her too. I hadn’t been sensing anything but if by some chance she’s right…”

“Then she shouldn’t be out there facing it alone. Look I have a council meeting in fifteen minutes, why don’t you gather up Rose and Finn, put our heads together and maybe we can figure out where she went. I just need to know that she’s okay.” Rey nodded to him as she stood up.

“If you want my honest opinion, I think she is just feeling unsettled in all of this. I mean we all have our thing in this new way of life and she has just been stuck since Alec died. We will find her, okay.” Poe looked at his friend and nodded his head at her optimistic outlook. He wished he could think the same way.

“Thanks Rey, oh and I am sorry I yelled.”

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.” She said with a small smile as she turned and walked out. Poe sat back in his seat with a heavy sigh, worry gnawing at him. He should have been a better friend, a better brother but like Rey had said they all had a place in all of this except for her. It had been his fault really. He had meant to keep his promise to her brother and keep an eye on her, protect her. In the end it had driven her away. He stood making his way to his meeting. Being the top general in the resistance left little time for much else but he vowed to bring his family home whatever the cost.

**********

She woke the next morning just as the sun was peaking over the horizon. They air was already thick and heavy with moisture and she was already feeling the effects. She kicked her blanket off from her with a huff and went to gather things for the day. Unhooking KD from the charger she gathered her water containers, purifying tablets and clothes as she made her way to a river not far from her camp. She had discovered it when she had first landed knowing she would need a fresh water source. The river flowed gently through the thick greenage with a small water fall as its back drop. It was the perfect spot for bathing and such as the water only reached her waist but if she sat on the gravelly bottom it came level with her shoulders. She still worried that she would be watched so this was always a hurried trip with KD watching guard.

She approached the river looking around for any signs of life and seeing none set her stuff down but then stopped. She had that sudden prickle in the back of her head as if someone was watching. She looked around finding nothing once again but she couldn’t shake the feeling. There was no way in hell she was getting undressed if someone was watching. Suddenly that feeling went away as if whoever had been there had sensed her discomfort. Could it be a creepy pervert with a sense of honor? She felt the wind shift slightly and if she listened ever so slightly it was as if the wind had picked up a slight chuckle. Her imagination was in overdrive this morning. She quickly filled her water containers and plugged in the purifying tablets. As they set to work she quickly set to getting herself cleaned up as quickly as possible while KD kept watch. As she washed she let her mind drift back to the cavern she had found yesterday. Her plan was to propel down it to see if she hit bottom. Not her best laid plan but it was the only one she had. She had a feeling that something was down there, something that may prove her theory right. She also wanted to explore the lower ruins a bit more. She had found those the first day she was there. Mostly fallen down giant columns that had crumbled with age the odd thig was she had found no writings, no symbols that might tell what this place really was. There had been something her once upon a time but she still wasn’t sure what. It had been old, ancient long before anything she had ever dated so she knew she was on to something, she just didn’t know what.

Once she has finished her daily routine she set back toward her camp site making a mental list of what she needed with her if she was to descend down a dark creepy hole. Light was her first thought for she was not overly thrilled with the dark. Things lived in the darkness and she hated not being able to see what was in front of her.

“KD help me keep a list will ya?” She asked the droid that gaited along beside her. She started to list off items verbally, rope, light, a holo cam, her tools and so forth.

“Miss Adelaide do you believe that it is wise to descend such a crevasse?” The droid almost sounded worried, almost.

“You worried about me KD? I’ve done crazier stuff than this. Besides there is something down there, I know it.”

“Yes, Miss.” The droid answered without questioning it further this just made her uneasy as if she was waiting for an argument.

“Look would it make you feel better if we looked for a different way in?” Truthfully she wasn’t overly thrilled about descending into an endless abyss herself.

“I will assist you in any way you need Miss Adelaide.” Addy sighed.

“Well aren’t you overly helpful.” She added sarcastically. She had finally made her to her site and over to the rock she had used to cover the entrance. As she pushed it away she stopped. “What the hell?!” The entrance was gone, not collapsed or flooded as one might expect but gone as if it was never there to begin with. “Hey, KD you want to scan this area. We did see something yesterday right?” She sure hoped that she hadn’t imagined it, if she had then she would have to start questioning her sanity.

“Yes Miss, there was something here but now there is nothing.”

“Nothing? How can there be nothing?”

“It just no longer is Miss.” KD responded. Odd she thought to herself, very odd.

“Well you stay here; I’m going down into the ruins. Maybe I can find a way in. Stay in radio contact.”

“Yes Miss.” KD responded as it maned its post. A disappearing hole that had led nowhere to begin with was very concerning but what did she expect when dealing with possible Jedi ruins. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a great plan but regrets would come later. She made her way down an embankment going off toward the columns. Earlier she had found what would have been considered an entrance and thought that would be the best way to start. She had just climbed over a fallen tree when she had that prickling feeling once again in the back of her head. She stopped mid step and looked slightly to her right. She gasped as she caught a slight movement in the shadow. The movement had been so slight she had almost missed it.

“Hello.” She called out. “Is anyone out there?” Nothing, the jungle was quiet, too quiet and yet she still felt being watched. “KD?” She questioned knowing she had left the droid above. She wished she had brought the droid, she wished she had brought a weapon, she wished she had listened to Poe, she wished….She never got to finish her panicked thought as a creature the size of a small bird flew from the tree. She took a minute to settle herself and curse her over active imagination. She wanted to get into that temple so she shook herself out of it and approached the entrance. She turned her light on as she entered.

**********

The girl was entertaining, he would give her that but she was also reckless although cautious. She had almost spotted him too. It was too soon, she couldn’t see him, not yet. Not until…his thought was interrupted just then. It was as if something was calling out to him, something from the past but he pushed it aside. The past was dead, gone and it needed to stay this way. And yet he found himself watching over a girl who literally lived in the past, but why? He needed to know more. He watched from his spot high above her as she lite her light before walking into the entrance. He knew she wouldn’t find what she wanted there but enjoyed watching her curiosity; she had a very active mind. She had so many thoughts running through them all the time. It was almost a comfort for him after being in solitude for so long.

He dropped down silently following her into the ruins. Little did he know that fate would soon intervene and they would come face to face much sooner than either expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N So thank you thank you to all who have read and reviewed. I’m glad you like it! Like I said I am very very excited about this one. As for who is following her, well you will just have to stay tuned but have no fear it will be sooner than you think. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Hours had passed, she had lost track of time as she moved further into the ruins. When she was on a mission like this time would pass her by with no notice. She did notice how much cooler it was her almost uncomfortably so. It was as if the air had shifted the second she had passed the threshold. Is seemed strange she thought as she shook off the shiver that threatened to climb her spin. She made a mental note to bring her jacket the next day. This whole planet was just a bit odd. It was completely deserted and yet it hadn’t been at one time. The ruins were proof of that so where did the people go? It’s like they picked up and just vanished. What was strange was the fact that there was no writing, no signs on who had been there before. There should have been at least some kind of writings. She sighed as her shoulders slumped in defeat. Maybe she was wrong to come here. Maybe everyone was right with telling her that she was chasing fairy tales. She didn’t want to believe them, that this was all a mistake. Something told her to stay however she still couldn’t chase away the self-doubt.

**“You’re not wrong.”** A deep voice echoed around her. She wiped around rather quickly shinning her light every which way.

“Who’s there?” She demanded only to be meant with silence. “Come out so that I can see you.” She said her voice echoing in the dark and yet she still heard nothing. She took a shaky breath beating down a more terrifying thought that entered her mind. That she was going crazy like her mother had. She was hearing things and seeing things that weren’t there. Her mother’s battle with this had resulted in her death when Addy was a young child. Unable to stop the voices she had ended her own life, something Addy had never been able to get passed.

**“I am so sorry”** The voiced had echoed again only this time it was in her head.

“Okay this is getting a little old.” She said out loud. “Who are you?!” She demanded.

**“A friend.”**

“Well friend is you are real than show yourself!” She demanded again as she stood in the middle of the ruins with her fist clenched at her side ready to fight if need be. Once again she was meant with silence. As tears began to fill her eyes mostly out of frustration she spoke one last quiet plead. “Please.”

“Miss Adelaide.” A voice echoed down the hallway. This was a voice she knew. “Miss.” The voice called out again.

“KD?” She called out as her beloved droid came into view.

“Oh Miss! I have found you!” The droid came to stop in front of her.

“KD. What is it? Why didn’t you use the comms?” She asked suddenly concerned.

“Miss I tried but a rather nasty storm has moved in making communication with you impossible. I am afraid we will have to stay here until it passes.”

“That could be hours.” Addy responded.

“Yes that may very well be.” Addy sighed slightly not really liking the idea of staying there for the night. She briefly entertained the thought of braving the lightning and rain to make a run to her ship.

**“Not a good idea.”** The voice echoed in her head once more.

“Okay KD but let’s head up toward the entrance more.” She said trying as she might to ignore the voice.

“I was just going to suggest that Miss.”

“Yeah? And why is that?” She asked as they headed in that direction.

“The air on this end of the tunnel is nearly fifty degrees cooler than the surface. Staying here would lead to a very cold night for you.”

“Wait, surface?” She asked glazing over her droids concern for her warmth.

“Yes miss we are currently underground.”

“Underground?!”

“Yes Miss.” Odd, this whole place was just odd. It hadn’t seemed like she was underground but then again she was hearing voices and thinking she was being watched. Maybe this place was just brimming with ghost from the past.

**“You’re not entirely wrong.”** Perfect! Her ghost was a sarcastic asshole.

**“Maybe.”** It chuckled. She mentally rolled her eyes.

“Hey KD, let’s get out of here. I’m done with this.”

“With what Miss?” KD asked.

“All this hocus pocus bantha shit.” She answered as she lead the way back where she had started that morning.

“I’m sorry Miss, hocus pocus bantha sh…”Addy sighed.

“Never mind KD. Let’s just go.”

“Are you feeling okay Miss?” The concerned droid asked her.

“No! Yes! I’m fine.” She answered not really sure how to answer that. Though she could have sworn she had seen movement then out of the corner of her eye just to the left of her.

“ _Nope.”_ She thought to herself as she passed. _“Defiantly not okay.”_

**********

When she finally reached the entrance she found that not only had the rains truly came but it had come with a vengeance. The wind was howling, lightning split the sky and the thunder felt as if it was roaring from the depths of hell itself. The rain was the worst, pouring from the sky in sheets making visibility nonexistent and it had started to flood near the entrance.

 _“Great.”_ She thought to herself. Everything in her camp would be soaked but at least she had thought to keep all of her research and important stuff locked away on her ship. Still this couldn’t have come at a worse time. She needed to be sealed inside her ship where she would feel safe. This storm was a wicked one and could last for hours. It made her nervous but for now she was stuck in a scary ass temple with her droid and the voice in her head. _“Lovely.”_ She thought to herself. _“Perfect., just perfect.”_

“KD!” She had to shout over the roar of the storm and she motioned for the droid to follow her. She walked back the way they had just come, moving deeper into the underground.

“Miss?” Her droid questioned.

“We need to head back.” She moved further along until they came about half way down. She was afraid to go much further due to the growing chill in the air. She wasn’t exactly prepared for the cold. That and she didn’t want to get any closer to where she had heard the voice. It had been a deep baritone voice, soothing almost calming but it still was a voice in her head and that alone was very alarming.

“Okay KD we will stop here for now.” She had found an outcrop of rocks that would act as a bit of shelter and possible warmth of some sort. Not much but it was better than nothing. With nothing left to do and a sleepiness suddenly coming over her she folded herself into the small space pulling the small bag she had brought with her. It was going to be a very long cold night. She arranged her bag to use as a pillow and wrapped her arms around herself. KD stood alongside her but she knew that if KD didn’t recharge she would be stuck dragging it to the surface. Her droid needed to conserve whatever it had left. She reached into the side of her boot where she had stashed a short knife, gripping it and holding it close. The only weapon she had at the moment. If anything was going to attack her in the middle of the night she wouldn’t be going down without a fight.

“Hey KD why don’t you power down for a bit. No sense wasting your batteries just standing there.”

“Are you quite sure Miss?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine.” Or so she thought. Not more than an hour into her long night she sat shivering with cold. She had turned out her light fighting against her fear of the dark, her ears straining to hear something, anything. She couldn’t over the chattering of her own teeth. She was becoming very lethargic, drowsy but she was afraid to close her eyes. What if this was it? What if she froze to death here and no one knew where she was. She would be just another lost forgotten soul. She wanted to cry but had no strength to do it.

**“Foolish foolish girl.”** The soft yet now familiar voice spoke in her head again. She wanted to respond but found that she couldn’t or maybe she just didn’t want to. **“So you’re just going to sit there and freeze to death? That’s your plan.”** She didn’t respond. She did think of some very creative yet unflattering words to call the voice. The voice chuckled. **“At least you’re in there somewhere.”** The voice sighed. **“This was not how this was supposed to happen.”** She wasn’t sure what happened next. She felt as if she was suddenly floating and then it was as if warmth suddenly enveloped her, wrapping it around her like to very comforting safe arms. She couldn’t help it she snuggled into it deeper relishing in it. She fell into a deep peaceful sleep.

**********

This was not going how he wanted, none of this was. He didn’t understand his need to watch over this stubborn little creature but he did. He had tried to talk to her in his own way but she passed it off as a crazy notion. She had an attitude about her that he found amusing and addicting. Maybe it was his lack of human connection for five years but he craved her more than he ever had anyone else. It was very disconcerting and had kept him from sleeping himself. Sleep was a luxury he didn’t have. Too many nightmares of the past kept him on edge. He had found her in his aimlessly wondering huddled next to her droid cramped into a tiny space shivering. The foolish girl was going to freeze to death. He had entered her thoughts once more and could sense her thoughts or rather the lack of them. She was giving up. He had sensed it before and he hadn’t understood it before. She was determined but had dark moments of self-doubt. Something he related too mare than he wanted to admit. After an inter dialogue with her to which she didn’t respond he did the only thing he could think of. First he had gathered supplies to create a small fire for warmth and then without giving it a second though he scooped her up placing her gently in his lap wrapping his arms around her. He leaned back against the stone wall and just held her to him. She seemed to settle as she actually snuggled into his chest giving into his warmth. Once she had settled into a dreamless sleep an unsettle thought occurred to him.

How the hell was he going to explain this when she woke up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N So whatcha think? Will she wake up to him or will he be gone? When will they finally meet? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Poe Dameron was usually a confidant man, sometimes overly so. Recently however he was finding that confidence waning. Now she was gone to who knows were. She could be lost, hurt or worse. He immediately shook that thought away. He wouldn't even entertain the possibility. He felt responsible; he should have listened to her. Addie was always a quiet sort, shy but passionate almost to a fault. Something her brother had warned him about right before he had asked Poe to keep an eye on her if anything where to happen to him. He had accepted that whole heartily. Addie was a sweet kind girl who seemed to wear her heart in her sleeve, much like he did. She had been close to her brother and that was how he had gotten to know her. There was something about her that had made him want to protect her, so he had tried and he had failed. He sighed as he looked out his window into the dark, a tumbler in his hand. The ice had long since melted as he had been nursing his drink for well over an hour. He had to find her but where was she?

He had gathered everyone together to see if they could figure out where she had gone. Rey had tried one of her force mind trick to no avail; in fact she had stated it was as if someone or something was purposely blocking her. The good news in all that was the possibility she was still alive. He refused to entertain any other thought. Finn and Rose had started back tracing anywhere she might have gone. But she had been thorough not leaving behind a trace just that damned message. It has broken his heart, which he kinda deserved. In fact it had been Rose who had stated that they had probably broken her heart first. They hadn't believed her they had been to focused on setting up a new government, a new way of life. He had been so occupied in getting it right that he had neglected his most prized thing in life, his family. She was his family, his sister, the quiet one. She had never complained and yet he had still lost her.

He turned away from the window when the beep of a message had come through. It was from Finn and stated just one simple sentence. We found something.

**********

She woke up slowly unsure of her surroundings at first. She blinked a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes. The first thing she noticed was how much warmer she was then when she had fallen asleep. The second thing she noticed was that she was back on her ship. Looking around she found that she was curled up on a pile of some kind of blankets that she knew were not hers. Sitting up she noticed that everything around her seemed untouched. Her beloved droid sat in its charging station.

"What the hell?" She questioned out loud. She knew it hasn't been a dream. She knew that this was not where she had ended up. Which meant someone had brought her back here, which meant the voice in her head may have been real. Which meant....holy shit! The thought hit her like a time of bricks. Someone really was here with her but who and why didn't they show themselves to her? She wasn't sure rather to be alarmed that this person had been watching her or relieved that she wasn't crazy.

"Hey KD." She said raising her droid who seemed to snap to attention focusing on her.

"Yes Miss." If KD were a real person it would be the equivalent to a morning person with that ridiculously perky greeting first thing in the morning. Morning people, she didn't get it. Poe was a morning person. Always up hours before anyone else and always with that loud excitable personality, she missed that, missed him. He had taken her into his self-made family when she had none. Then she had done the worst thing she could think of and had run away from that. The heaviness of what she had done suddenly weighing her done and a tear leaked from her eye. What done was done and now she needed to do what she had come here for. But first she needed to figure out what had happened the night before.

"Miss?" Her droid questioned her again as she shook herself out of her stupor.

"How did I get here? Who brought me here?"

"I am unable to give you an answer Miss."

"What? Why?"

"It seems as If my memory banks from the last 12 hours are missing." Now that's disconcerting. Why would anyone go to those lengths to remain hidden?

"Well that's odd." She stated more to herself than I KD.

"Yes Miss." Addie sighed as she found the dock out of her shot to glance out the window. Sun was streaming through and the air in the shop started to become thick with the warming of the day. She could see steam rising from the ground indicating that it definitely was going to be another hot one. She spent a few minutes straightening up her sleeping area, grabbing a new pile of clothing along with those that needed to be washed. She was avidly trying to avoid both the ruins and the voice she had found with it. It made her feel anxious and unsettled. She choose instead decided to put it in the back of her mind and forget it at least for now. Instead she focused on other things, little things, and things to keep her busy which included medial chores.

"Okay, KD we are going back to the river. I need to wash some things and purify more water and...."

"Miss..." KD interrupted. "My sensors detect movement coming in our direction." This got her attention.

"Well is it good or bad?" Or the person from last night. She said in her own head which was surprisingly quiet.

"I am unsure at this time Miss but there is more than one."

"Well how many are we talking?" She was suddenly in alert. She grabbed her blaster and ran to the door making sure it was secure.

"Four life signs are detected Miss. Coming from the west." Addie wasn't sure what to expect especially considering what has happened the night before.

"How long do we have before they get here?" She asked automatically activating the system that allowed her ship to become literally a fortress. The sunlight was suddenly blocked out as a plated shied covered it. She had detected no life when she had first landed here nearly two weeks ago but that didn’t mean anything. All new scenarios where going through her head. They could be friendly or not, they may not even be from here. They could be like her just looking to investigate or they could be worse. Being in her field she was not unaccustomed to those who sought out the same things she did for profit which in turn could make them very dangerous. KD seemed to be suddenly on alert.

“They are here Miss.” Suddenly the air around her seemed to be sucked away. It left an earie silence and all she heard was the rapid beating of her own heart. Suddenly a very loud bang hit the side of her ship. She heard voices and they did not sound friendly. They were trying to get in and her anxiety spiked. In reality she knew they wouldn’t get in. Before she had left she had made sure her ship was made to withstand a lot if something like this were to happen. She was after all going to uncharted territory and she wanted some kind of protection, a safe room so to speak. She turned on an emergency light, stowed a few extra knives on her person and activated a screen that allowed her to see outside. Three very large men stood by the entrance where the ramp would open. One was banging on the door which echoed within her confined space. They wore an armor she had never seen and masked that covered the bottom half of their faces. But KD had said four. So where was the fourth one? She heard another bang but this time it came from above. Relentless pounding followed by a gibberish language she had never heard but it sounded angry. She was starting to get worried. What if they kept her trapped in here? How long before they gave up? What were they doing here? She bomb bared herself with so many questions not knowing what she could do.

**“Hold on. I’m coming for you.”** She perked up, the voice in her head had returned and it had a surprisingly calming effect on her. Another noise from outside caught her attention and she looked back at the screen. For such ugly creatures they were smart. They were trying to override her system from the outside. If they got lucky…She shook the thought from her head. She had to do something, she wasn’t just gonna wait for someone to maybe rescue her. Besides she was still not entirely clear on rather this was all real or not.

**“I said I’m coming for you. Stay put.”** The voice sounded slightly annoyed and laced with impatience as it seemed to follow her train of thought. She ignored it of course.

“KD, I need you to power down and stay out of sight.”

**“Damn it! At least take the BATTLE DROID with you!”** Still she ignored it.

“Are you quite sure Miss?’ The droid asked.

“Yes, I want at least someone on the outside in case this goes sideways. If something happens, I need you to signal Poe. I need you to tell him I’m sorry.”

“Yes Miss.” The thing about a preprogramed droid was it didn’t argue. Unlike the voice in her head which was currently swearing up a storm. Seriously, there were words she had never heard before but she wasn’t about to take this by huddling in a corner waiting for something to happen. She had been doing that most of her life.

**“Now is not the time to reevaluate your life choices princess.”** There was bit to that comment. Which she once again choose to ignore as she faced the door with a blade in one hand, a blaster in the other and the pounding on the door increasing. **“I’m almost there! Don’t you touch that door!”** She didn’t, she touched the button that opened the door. Sunlight streamed in causing her to blink ever so slightly. She was met with three pairs of very surprised eyes.

“Hi boys.” She sure hopped that they were. She hated to insult anyone further. “Don’t you know it’s rude to bang on someone’s door like that? I could be in any state of duress and no one wants that.”

**“For the love of God DO NOT antagonize them!”**

“I’m Addie, this is my place. I don’t like uninvited guest.” She gripped her weapons tighter. She knew the fourth one wasn’t that far off and she knew her next moves would have to be quick and calculated. They may not have spoken the same language as her but they understood her intent. They took a collective step toward her; two had their own weapons ready and went to advance on her.

**“ABOVE YOU!”** His voice echoed in her head as the fourth creature went to drop down on her. Whatever they were they were not friendly. She punched the button to close the door just as the creature jumped for her and she jumped from her ship landing on a tuck and roll. She heard the door behind her slam shut with a sickening crunch as the creature that had tried to land on top of her got caught in the door, killing it instantly. That was going to be a mess. She glanced up from her crouched position at the three very unhappy looking members of the squad. She had two thoughts, the first was she was royally screwed and the second was to….

**“Run.”** It was a simple word but it resonated with her deeply. First because she had every intention of listening to it but also it was the same voice that had said it in her dream, a dream that she had set aside until this very moment. She glanced behind them to catch sight of an even more sinister figure. She couldn’t see his face but he was tall, so very tall; big and menacing. He wore all black and seemed to move like a shadow as it descended upon the small group. The air around her seemed to shift just slightly as she stood in shock. The creatures looked from her to him, back to her and then back to him. She remained frozen, unsure what she should really be doing.

Things happened so fast. In a matter of seconds she went from frozen to watching the three unfortunate souls in front of her drop to their knees gasping and pulling at their necks. They acted as if their own breath had been stolen from them. She watched the ciaos around her until suddenly he was in front of her. She still couldn’t see his face because he too wore a mask on the bottom half but she saw his eyes. Brown piercing eyes that were full of all kinds of emotions and right now they were breeding intensity. So much so she could feel it.

“We need to work on your listening skills.” She gasped as she looked up at him. He had wrapped a very large hand around her upper arm spinning her around away from him. The voice was the one that had been in her head except this time he had actually spoken out loud to her. The only difference was that this was raspier as if it was under used. Well if one had the ability to speak to other in their mind why waist it on spoken words. He pushed her away.

“Now run!” She was shocked by this but for once she listened and run she did as fast as she could, not looking back. She could hear the commotion behind her, there was yelling and shooting and other noises she didn’t want to try and identify. She was running so fast that she wasn’t really watching where she was going and tripped. She found herself stumbling head over heal down a steep embankment only to hit her head on something hard. She saw stars and tried to move but she was fighting off the darkness that threatened to take her under. She found that she couldn’t really move. She wasn’t sure how long she lay there but she was suddenly aware of a dark hood figure above her. Those eyes looked down at her in worry and suddenly she felt as if she was floating and it felt safe and then darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Sooo what did ya think. They meet finally kinda but a more formal intro will be next chapter. Let me know how you all like. Sorry it took a few weeks but real life ya know. It’s so much easier living in this happy little fan fiction bubble! 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

She had been plagued with nightmares most of her life. None ever made much sense and sometimes she would go days, weeks even months between them. The issue was they were always the same.

Darkness, she feared it but not even really understanding why. She didn’t like how it seemed to chock in around her. She felt suffocated, almost as if she was drowning. She was standing in it, turning every which way trying to see something, anything. But all that surrounded her was the never ending darkness. The sounds around her seemed to intensify, scratching, clawing, raspy voices that didn’t make any kind of sense but it grew louder .So loud that she covered her ears letting out her own silent screams, falling to her knees. Suddenly it was quiet and she looked up to see a large looming figure standing above her. Usually this would be where she would wake up, shaken by the whole thing. This time however the figure reached hits hand out to her. She saw nothing but his eyes. Eyes she had seen before, eyes that felt safe, eyes the color of honey.

**“Come, with me.”** A familiar voice echoed back to her. Reluctantly she placed her hand into his dark gloved one. Just as his grasped hers she woke with a start and a gasp. Her eyes flew open and in her panic as she tried to figure out where she was. She tried to sit up only to feel a sharp pain in her head. She wanted to drop back onto the surprisingly soft pillows that were under her head but she forced herself to sit up only to be pushed back down with gentle yet firm hands.

“Easy there princess, you took quite a bump to the head.” The voice above her spook and she looked up into the honey brown eyes. His face was still covered from the nose down but the eyes and that voice were recognizable. She was finally confronted with the voice in her head only to not truly see him.

“Who are you? Where am I? What is this place? Why…” He chuckled a deep chuckle as he lightly brushed her hair from her forehead. A very intimate gestured but something seemed to relax and comfort her. The way he looked at her and the way he touched felt as if they had known each other their whole lives but since that wasn’t possible it just struck her as odd, like everything else on this planet.

“So many questions. Always so many questions.” For some reason this annoyed her.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She once again tried to sit up only to once again be pushed back down. The corners of his eyes seemed to crinkle as if he was smiling under that mask.

“And stubborn, so very very stubborn.”

“Who _are_ you? And I am not stubborn!”

“Stubborn _and_ temperamental.” He added. He was teasing her and it was infuriating her in a way she couldn’t explain. Every instinct in her was telling her to run but she couldn’t, she couldn’t even move as if some invisible force was keeping her there. That’s when it hit her... _the force_ …the bastard was using the force to keep her here. She knew this planet would be trouble and yet she still came. What she didn’t know was why her. She was no one special. Why would a force user connect with her in her head? “Stubborn, temperamental and very wrong. You are special and you will learn that in time, you’ll see. First you need sleep and then we will talk.”

“No I want answers….” She never finished her sentence because he waved a hand in front of her causing her to fall asleep. The last thing she remembered was his voice in her head once again.

**“Sleep.”**

**************

This time when she woke from a surprisingly dreamless sleep she felt a little more like herself, less confused and less groggy. She found that she could move and the pain in her head was nearly gone. This time when she sat up it came with no restrictions. Looking around she found that she was in some kind of cave. She lay on a unexpectedly comfortable bed piled high with blankets. Next to the bed sat a small low table that had a cup with water and a piece of fruit she recognized as one she had seen grow not far from where she had set up her work. Swinging herself over the side of the bed her feet touched the ground which was surprisingly cold. On a planet that seemed to permeate heat she seemed to have stumbled along one of the only cool spots around. She also noticed as she stood nd the cool air hit her bare legs that she was not in the same clothes as she was earlier. She gasped as she looked down. Her legs were indeed bare and she now wore a long black tunic shirt thing which to a regular sized person would just be a regular shirt. It came to her mid-thigh and the arms so long it fell past her hands making her look as if she was a child in her parents clothing. If this wasn’t concerning enough the fact that only one person could have possible done this concerned, embarrassed and somewhat pissed off.

 **“Don’t worry princess, its nothing I haven’t seen before.”** Great, her voice was back.

**“Although there is that tiny distracting little birth mark above your…”** He didn’t finish just projected the thought to her head as to where she knew it was. She gasped at this looking to find a blanket to cover herself more fully as if some kind of a barrier against his obvious prying eyes Not that it would make much difference he had already seen _everything_ , which pissed her off even more. She went to the opening of the room where a blanket hung at what she assumed was a door, a soft light filtering in around the edges. She threw back the cloth and stormed into the main area. He sat in front of a small fire his back to her. She stood behind him blanket clutched her tightly.

“Hey asshole, anyone ever tell you it’s rude to root around in someone’s head.”

“Yes but yours is so entertaining.” When he spoke it was rough and once again it hit her that maybe he didn’t use his actually all that much which was a shame because he had a nice voice.

“So glad I can be a source of amusement for you.”

“Relax princess, when you took that tumble down the hill you landed in a rather large puddle. It was rather graceful.” He added sarcastically.

“You really are an ass.”

“Among other things.” He still hadn’t turned around to face her. “You were, soaked, you were hurt and I wasn’t going to leave you there.” He finally turned around, his face was still covered. His dark hair lay like silk across his forehead and ended at his collar. Funny she hadn’t noticed it before. She found it suddenly rather distracting. She felt his eyes watching her and she shook herself out of whatever stupor she currently found herself in. She still hadn’t moved however shifting nervously from foot to foot and clenching the blanket even tighter.

“Where are my clothes?” She asked trying to get answers from him, any answers really. If he didn’t have that damn mask on she would have sworn he was smirking at her.

“Sit. Eat. Maybe smile.”

“What?! Where are my clothes?!” She demanded to know again.

“Sit. Eat and smile, _maybe_?” He was teasing her again and she wasn’t sure on how to take it. She sighed rolled her eyes and finally moved closer to sit next to the fire as far from him as she could get. She didn’t really want to trust him that would be too easy but she was starving and what he was making whatever it was smelled really good. She couldn’t really remember the last time she ate anything but prepackaged rations. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate period which left her to ask how long she was really out.

“A little less than two days.” He answered her unspoken question because he was in her damn head again. She didn’t answer as he handed her a bowl with food. She took it although she wanted to reluctantly.

“I will sit, I will eat, I will not smile.” She responded tartly. He seemed to take that for an answer because he nodded his head in her direction and turned his attention back to stoking the fire.

“Whatever you say princess.”

“Why do you insist on calling me that?” his answer was a quick shrug of the shoulders and his refusal to look at her. It was almost as if he was unsure of himself.

“Always with the questions.”

“And you with no answers.” She bite back as she place the bowl back don on the hearth and stood to leave but she was stopped buy a rather large and warm hand that held her arm in a rather firm grip. He turned his eyes to her.

“Where are you going?” She didn’t answer for a minute not really having an answer. She looked down at her feet. She heard him sigh before he answered. “Look your clothes are drying, it’s raining, again and the Reavers are still out there. And with what little you are currently wearing you do not want another run in with those beast. Just sit, eat and I’ll answer your questions.” She opened her mouth to speak as she felt her face warm to his intense gaze but he held a finger to stop her. “One question at a time.” It was her time to sigh as she nodded her head and sat down reluctantly. She picked the bowl up again looked at it for a moment wondering for the first time what was actually in it. “If I told you what was in it you wouldn’t eat it.”

“Really?” She asked concerned. This earned her a chuckle which she returned with a glare.

“Relax princess its fine. Just eat.” He leaned forward just slightly looking at her with those eyes. _“Please.”_ She grumbled a fine and took a bit which was very surprisingly good. She looked up at him in surprise. He just gestured to her to continue seemingly pleased that she was actually eating. So many questions were beginning to swarm her mind and she wasn’t sure what to ask first. So She started with an easy one.

“What were those things up there?”

“Reavers, more or less pirates. They scavenge whatever they can find and then sell it to the highest bidder. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as they can get money for it they will sell it. It could be artifacts or even people.”

“Like a slave trade?’ He nodded his head. This thought seemed to hit her hard. She had seen this practice up close and the thought of it still made her ill.

“You’re safe here.” He told her sensing her anxiety. A slight shiver ran through her as she tried to ride herself of it and decided to move on to the next question.

“Who are you and why don’t you show your face?” She tried to pear past the mask envisioning what he might look like.

“A friend and I have my reasons.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Everyone has a name.”

“You’re being vague again.”

“Names aren’t important.”

“Well I need to call you something.” She was starting to get annoyed with his teasing of her.

“Call me whatever you like.”

“All right pita.” This seemed to catch him off guard slightly. His eyebrow rose ever so slightly.

“Pita?” He questioned and she sighed.

“It’s a name my brother game me. It stands for pain in the ass p-i-t-a.” She didn’t realize until that moment just how much she missed hearing him call her that missed his voice. When he had given it to her she had been annoyed but now she just missed it.

“If that is what makes you feel better than by all means.” He was humoring her so she let him. So she decided to ask the one question she really wanted the answer too.

“Why am I really here? This place is so odd, nothing makes sense and yet I feel as if I’m supposed to be here.”

“Because you are.” He answered simply as if that particular answer would solve everything.

“Yes, but why?” He looked at her for a moment grabbing her attention with his eyes as he looked at her, really looked at her. He leaned forward slightly as he asked his own question.

“Do you really not know what you are?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Thank you thankyou thank you for all that have reviewed and read. I really enjoy hearing from everyone. It truly makes my day. So they have meant but she still doesn’t know who she is but I swear its coming and yes she will act accordingly. I look forward to hearing from you! 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

“What do you mean what I am?!” She demanded to know. That one statement had her feeling an anger she had never felt before and she didn’t really even know why. He frustrated her with his half answers or just no answers at all. She wanted to scream, she wanted to shake him and she wanted to hit him in the head. These violent thoughts were not normal for her but she felt as if they were. “I am not anyone or anything special or unique! If anything I am a burden and a joke to everyone around me. Just someone they humor.” She could feel tears brimming in her eyes and she swiped at them wondering why she was suddenly overcome by so many emotions. He just watched her with concern in his eyes as she brought herself under control. “I’m sorry.” She whispered quietly when she was finally able to speak. She stared intently at her fisted hands as they lay in her lap. She was being ungrateful and she knew it. He had taken her in, rescued her and she in return had proven to be every kind of difficult. She felt her emotions start to swirl again and more tears threatened to come. She usually could contain feelings, keep them dampened but for some reason now she couldn’t.

She heard him sigh slightly and suddenly his very large hand settled over her two clenched ones. His one seemed to engulf her two completely, his other hand rested on her knee which was currently bouncing up and down. A nervous habit she had developed and she hadn’t even realized that she had been doing it. A calmness washed over her as her body stopped its fidgeting.

“Look at me, please.” He said softly to her. She hesitated for a moment but with a squeeze of his hand she looked up, an embarrassed blush covering her cheeks. “Good girl.” His eyes crinkled as if he was smiling and she bet if she could see his whole face it would be a nice smile. “Now you hear me and for once listen.” He was teasing her again on her lack of what he had called her _listening skills_. “You are special and unique. You were brought here for a reason and I will give you those answers at least help you find them. But before we do you have to understand what you are and for that you need patience.”

Patience was something she usually posed herself on. It was a necessity in her line of work but for some reason this was hard for her. Maybe it was because she was focused on her own issues rather than anyone else's and that filed her with a crippling anxiety. She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath.

"Okay." She said softly as she tried to steady herself. She looked down at her hands that still say in her lap with his hand still trapping them there. He gave them a reassuring squeeze that caused her to lol up at him.

"So tell me...." She began. "What am I?" She was desperate to find out all and everything she could. So when his response was less than she thought she was left feeling confused. He withdrew from her and sat back. Once the physical contact was severed she instantly felt lost. Her head was suddenly flooded with an on slot of emotions so strong she gasped slightly at the sensation. She found herself having a hard time breathing, a hard time comprehending and a hard time with not being overwhelmed. The calmness that his touch had brought was gone and she suddenly missed it.

"Tell me how you feel?"

"What!?" She asked, the question so obscure.

"Tell me how you feel." He repeated.

"Right now?" He nodded. "Right now I'm a little pissed off."

"And?" He pressed her further.

"And?!" She looked away for a moment trying to have her answer. So she decided to be as honest as possible.

"I feel overwhelmed and confused. Lost maybe. I feel as if there is something pulling at me, something out there that I can't touch." She looked down at her hands again. "It sounds crazy I know..." He seemed to perk up at that statement.

"Crazy because you have feelings? Emotions?" He asked her gently.

"I...I guess." She answered.

"It has to be so difficult to take on so much from everyone else, to focus on everyone around you. On their thoughts and feelings that you forget about your own. You lock them away and focus on others so that you don't have to deal with your own. I understand that more than you know." She looked up at him in surprise at how he had basically hit the truth between the eyes. "Tell me princess, do you know what an empath is?"

"Empath? Yes but there is no such thing. They are just stories." She had grown up with stories of people who could "read" other people. They were considered fairy tales told to children to get them to behave. Stories were told how those with these abilities would manipulate the feelings and emotions causing them to act out of character sometimes even to the point of violence.

"No more than the Jedi or Sith. And you believe in them or you wouldn't be here at an abandoned Jedi temple past what would be considered safe territory."

"What are you saying exactly?" She narrowed her eyes at him slightly. He met her glare head on.

"You know what I'm saying." He stared at her with those eyes that seemed to bore into her and not for the first time she wished she could see his whole face. Then she realized what he was actually saying.

"No." She simply stated.

"Yes. Yes you are and if I had to guess you are quite a powerful one."

"No...no." She kept saying shaking her head back and forth.

"Tell me." He continued. "Why do you choose to be on your own with only a droid to keep you company? Because it’s easier, right? Because being around others is so overwhelming you would rather be alone. It's like when I can sense what others are thinking, you sense that they are feeling." She opened her mouth to protest but she couldn't find the words.

"I thought I was going crazy. Like my mother did." She looked away as she tried to wrap her head around what he was saying, what she really was. A part of her knew it was true and yet another part of her wanted to deny it. She was no one. Just the girl in the back ground. The one who had been left behind to care for her crazy mother who heard voices as her brother went off to join the resistance. Now both were dead and she had still been left behind.

"You’re not crazy princess. You were called here just like any other force sensitive being. This place calls to us. It always has and that's why we feel unsettled."

_Wait. ..what?_

"I thought you said I was empath." He had turned away from her just then focusing his attention on maintaining the fire in front of them. She huffed in annoyance at not getting straight answers from him again and frankly she was suddenly exhausted. Her mind and emotions were heading in seven hundred different directions. She didn't know rather to cry, scream or just punch him in the face. The last bit was starting to sound better and better. Suddenly she heard a bark which could only be described as a laugh emulated from him. He was laughing at her and it only serviced her to get angrier. She crossed her arms and glared at the back of his head. She wasn't normally such an angry person but for some reason he brought that out of her and he was enjoying it. _The bastard!_

"I am so glad that I can amuse you _Pita_...." She emphasized the last part. " ...but can you please just answer the question. " she asked tiredly. He must have sensed her frustration because when he turned back around all traces of amusement was gone. Instead a look of determination was shining through.

"What do you know about those who are force sensitive? I'm assuming considering what you do you do know some things." She nodded in agreement and thought back to several conversations she had had with Rey on this very subject. Addie was a curious mind and loved information. The more she had the better she felt. Rey on the other hand eventually became rather tired of her endless questions. Most did in the end so she had shut down and tried to research what she could on her own.

"I do know the basics of what it is but not much else." He frowned at this.

"I'm sorry that those you went to couldn't or wouldn't give you the answers you seek. No one with your ability should be pushed aside." She was somewhat surprised at his answer but she just shrugged it away.

"It doesn't matter."

 _Not like you are giving me any either._ She added in her head to which he replied.

 **"You're right. But I will."** He promised speaking into her head. A feeling she hasn't realized she had missed. **"Interesting"** He added as he too felt it. Again he spoke but this time I was it loud.

"The more powerful force users usually have other abilities. Were mine is telepathy yours is empathy. You just need to be taught, guided. You need a teacher, someone to show you the way."

"To what? Teach me the force!? I'm still not sure I believe you." He stood just then and came over to stand in front of her. She looked up into his unreadable eyes.

"You believe in something or you wouldn't have left everything thing and come here. You are here for a reason. Something more is coming. Something more sinister than before and you may be the key to finding what will stop it.” He had such determination in his eyes that for a moment she was lost in them. She couldn’t even begin to understand any of this but she knew with him at least she had a chance.

“Who are you?” She asked again. He just looked at her for a moment before he broke eye contact and moved away from her.

“No one anymore.” It came out as a whisper but she still caught it. She also caught the fleeting thought he sent toward her. **“I’m a monster.”** She was suddenly stuck with the thought that a monster might just be what she needed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

He wasn’t prepared for her temper and in truth neither was she. She never was one to lash out and take her mood out on others but for some reason now she was and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Most of the time her emotions were kept bottled up deep inside her where no one could see but since this strange mysterious man had entered her life nothing was the same. This strange mysterious masked man who swore he was a monster. She had seen monsters, more than she cared to admit. War created monsters out of the best of men and maybe he had been at one time but now she wasn’t so sure and that made her angry. Angry, sad, frustrated and everything else all at once. She couldn’t control it any longer. It made her irritable and she took it out on him.

It had been two days since he had brought her to his underground lair for lack of a better word, something he had found rather amusing when she had slipped up calling it that once. He still won’t let her go to the surface quite yet something about sensing a disturbance. He kept telling her it wasn’t safe. For some reason she believed him but it still didn’t ease her anxiety. Her droid was still on her ship as well as all of her equipment and her research which he had assured her was still locked up tight. This was what led up to her first outburst.

**“Your droid and ship are fine.”** He answered her unspoken question in her head **. “All though I must say I don’t understand your attachment to it.”** She wasn’t sure why she was suddenly upset. Maybe it was the stress of the moment, maybe because she wasn’t getting the answers she wanted or maybe she was just pissed off about the whole situation. Whatever the case she felt anger, a rage unlike anything she had ever felt before completely take over her body. It was as if someone else was taking over her raring to get out. She had lunged at him with the sheer purpose of hurting him. She tried to scratch him and hit him, push him anything she could do. She just wanted to inflict pain and she didn’t know why. It had caught him off guard at first so much so that he stumbled back slightly as he grabbed her hands to keep them from his face. She wanted to pull the damn mask from his face so that she could see who she was looking at. He never gave her the opportunity because when he recovered from the shock it was quick. He gripped her hands and twisting her around pulling her back tight against his chest. She fought against him for a moment before she completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollable. He knees buckled and her only suppost was him holding her in place.

“What is wrong with me?” She asked in-between gasps of breath. She felt his breath in her hair as he seemed to try an comfort her.

“Shhh...nothing is wrong with you princess. It’s this place. It will pass, I promise.” He whispered into her hair as she calmed down. She wasn’t sure how long they were like that. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. All she knew was it seemed as if time had stopped and him holding her was the most calm and safe she had ever felt. That scared her even more. Finally, rather reluctantly she pulled away unable to meet his eyes but he wasn’t about to let that happen. He wasn’t letting her go either. In fact he was almost clinging to her as if she was him life line. She finally looked up at him. His eyes seemed to stare into her as if he could read her soul, she couldn’t look away it was as if she was frozen. He finally seemed to shake himself out of it and reached up pushing some of her stray hair from her face.

“There is nothing wrong with you.” He repeated is a soft voice. “Nothing.”

“Then what is happening to me?” She sounded desperate. She needed to know something.

“You have spent your whole life locking away what you are and now that you know. Now your ability is making itself known. These emotions are emotions that you have suppressed all your life and it’s as if they are making up for lost time.”

“Great so you’re telling me I’m basically a hormonal teenager with no control what so ever of what might pop out.” His eyes crinkled as they looked down at her.

“Something like that.”

“Right, great. And how long should I expect this to last?” He chuckled just then and moved to finally release her. She missed the contact almost immediately. Apparently he did to if his sudden startled look had anything to do about it. A look that was fleeting but she did see it.

“Once you get a handle on it with some training you will be able to control it. In the mean time we need to find more creative ways to curb that temper of yours.” She sighed in annoyance.

“Yeah that’s new too. Sorry about that.” She looked down at her feet feeling ashamed at her previous reaction. It was uncalled for and without merit. She was surprised he hadn’t thrown her ass back out onto the surface. It was no less than she deserved.

**“So now we have moved on to feeling sorry for ourselves have we princess?”** He was back in her head. She found he did this every once in a while even though he was talking to her more. It was as if it was a comfort of sorts. She rolled her eyes as she went to storm away again only to be back pulled around to face him.

“I would never through you out. Believe it or not I need you here just as much as you need my help. So stop sulking.”

“I am not sulking thank you very much.”

“You are sulking and raging which is something I have experience with so we are going to work on that.”

“What the sulking or the raging?” She asked sarcastically as she attempted to pull away only for his grip to tighten slightly as he pulled her forward even more. He had a thing for taking up her personal space rather it was in her mind or just keeping her close. Maybe it was because he had lacked any kind of human interaction or maybe something more. She didn’t know and it made her nervous, nervous because she found that she needed it too and nervous that she was straying into some very unknown and unexperienced territory. She was slowly pulled toward him leaving very little space between them. Her breath caught in her throat as he very slowly leaned down to her level and she was struck again at how ridiculously tall he was. Her palms were sweaty and her breath caught in her throat as he buried his nose into her hair right above her ear. She closed her eyes at the sensation. And then he spoke in that very deep, yet sooth voice.

“I am going to teach you many great things.” Yikes! “First thing we are going to do ….” He nuzzled her further which caused her to gasp. “….is meditate.” Wait, what?! It was like a splash of cold water as he quickly stepped away leaving her cold among other things. She stood there in shock as she tried to rap her head around what had just happened. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t blink and she was suddenly overcome with the rage she had been trying to stomp down. Stomping sounded good to her at the moment. She wanted to stomp his head, she wanted to kick him. Damn him for whipping her into a frenzy only to leave her hanging. She knew she couldn’t hurt him so she took a note from his play book and started calling him names in her head. Every name she could think of and then some. Words she didn’t even know she knew, everything but his real name. A name she really wished she had. She turned around to comfort him only to hear him chuckle in her head and to find that she was once again alone.

**“Very creative princess didn’t know you had such a colorful vocabulary. Now come and find me.”** Oh he was infuriating **.**

“Fine Pita, we will do this your way then.” She said out loud to the empty room and went in search of him.

**“Oh and its Ben.”** Ben, he had finally given her his name. Ben it seemed to fit him. One barrier down, next she was going to work on getting that damn mask off his face. But for now she would play his little game. She gathered up her courage and went in search of “Ben”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N so I know that it’s been a while and that real life sucks right now but I finally got something out. Ben being a teasing was more fun to write than I should probably admit. Let me know what you think. Stay safe, stay health and God Bless! 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

They had found something. It wasn’t much but it was something. Rose had been busy tracing back every one of Addy’s moments in the last two months and to say she was busy would be an understatement. It was like the girl had never slept something else that Poe had missed. She wasn’t really good at taking care of herself and as soon as he got her back he intended to rectify that as well, that among other things.

Currently he, Finn, Rose and Rey all stood around a large computer console that Rose had used to lay out Addy’s movements.

“So it seems as if most of her activity was confined to the outer rim.” Rose stated as she touched a spot on the screen that they all were bent over. “But she was here the longest.”

“What was she doing there?” Finn asked still not quite grasping what was really going on. “I mean there can’t be much there. It’s mostly old outpost that no one occupies anymore.”

“She was looking for something. She must have found it.” Rey stated.

“But what did she find?” Finn asked.

“A library. She always talked about looking for old libraries. Something about libraries being a good hiding spot for unclaimed history.” Poe pipped in feeling defeated that he hadn’t figured this out before. “She must have been on to something there.”

“But what did she _find_?” Finn asked again.

“An old Jedi library.” Rey said to the group. They all looked up at her curiously. “She told me that she was hoping to find it. I guess I didn’t pay enough attention to get what she was talking about.” No one responded mostly out of guilt because they had all been too “busy” to pay attention.

“Well then we need to go there, find out what she found.” Rose spoke up finally breaking the silent. It was met with nods of approval.

“Let’s go bring our girl home.” Poe added as they got ready to head out.

**********

She knew it hadn’t been a great idea, she rarely made any good decisions as of late but in truth she needed a break, she needed to clear her head. So when she was sure he had fallen asleep, or at least she had though he had she did the thing she was best at. She snuck away in the dead of night. She needed to see the sky again, needed to breathe the hot sticky air she never thought she would ever breathe again. It wasn’t as if she was ungrateful for what he had done but she just had a hard time with comprehending everything that had happened in the last few days. Sure she ran into the chance of running into the Reavers and she ran into the chance of getting lost in the dark and in the rain but she had a sudden feeling that she needed to go. She needed to see. What she didn’t know but something had been calling to her for the last few days in the back of her head. She couldn’t ignore it any longer.

She quietly slipped from the room that she had been sleeping in, shoes in hand as she snuck through the main room where he was asleep next to the fire place. She took a moment to watch him in the dying fire light taking in his features and restful nature. His mask was still in place and even though she had gotten a name she swore he kept it there just to piss her off. She wouldn’t put it past him. He seemed to like aggravating her for some reason. It was like he got some perverse pleasure out of watching her get wound up. She found herself just staring at him for a moment, watching his relaxed features. From what she could see he looked so young at that moment. More so than when he was awake and not for the first time, she wondered about him. What had brought him here? Was it on purpose or was he forced here? Why would he purposely isolate himself? What was he hiding from? He must really be in a deep sleep if he wasn’t suddenly berating her for her normal onslaught of questions. She sighed a quiet sigh. She knew she asked endless questions and that most people just ignored her or worse they humored her. It was frustrating but he was different. He did answer questions. Granted sometimes it wasn’t out right but he didn’t pretend. If he couldn’t answer he would just tell her instead of passing her by and she appreciated more than anything. She just wished she knew who he really was. She shook her head at the thought remembering back to another time when she had had the same thought and his response had been _“You would like the answer to that”_ That in itself should have ceased her questions, instead it had just made her more curious. She found herself suddenly reaching her hand out to him. It was as if it was moving on its own. To do what she wasn’t sure, but it was as if she had a sudden need to touch him. It was as if she craved it. There was just something about him, something she wanted to understand. He shifted suddenly in his sleep causing her to shake herself out of her stupor. She needed to move if she were to be back before he woke up. She truly only planned on being gone for a short time. She slipped out into the darkness not even realizing that she had been watched the entire time.

**********

When was that girl going to learn? He asked himself that same question more than once. She was a mystery, a bundle of every kind of emotion imaginable. She was reckless, passionate, curious and temperamental. He found himself more drawn to her even more than before. He just worried about her need to run into anything headfirst like she was doing now. Something had stirred up on the surface. Something not human, not normal. Something was calling to her and that worried him. He had sensed her restlessness, her sleeplessness, her need to breathe. It was something he understood very well. He didn’t want to discourage her any more than she already had been and yet he didn’t want her to place herself in danger which was where she was headed now. He hadn’t told her but the Reavers had since left but he too sensed something calling to him. It was dark, sinister and it took everything in him to fight it. He refused to go that route again. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t let himself but oh it would be so easy. The temptation to slip back into his old ways wes right out of reach but he knew that in his heart of hearts that it would never be. He had a different purpose and it involved a spicy little bit of a girl. She needed to be watched over so he waited until she was gone when he made his move. 

He had sensed her guilt about leaving, about leaving him behind which he found rather interesting. It proved to him that she felt the pull toward his as he felt toward her. He had only had that kind of connection one other time and it had ended in an unexpected way. His death or supposed death. The thing was with the force anything was possible. Death was never truly an ending something he knew first hand. He had felt the life slip from him when he had exchanged his life for hers. He remembered feeling as if he was floating and then bliss, calmness and quiet. He had felt free for the first time in his life. Then there had been nothing. No stillness, no floating, no sound just...nothing. How long he was like that he wasn't sure. Suddenly he had felt coldness, pain and heaviness unlike anything he had felt before. When he had opened his eyes he had found himself in the rubble and ruins of what had once been Exegol, a place so dark and desolate that nothing even grew there. It had driven him away, his connection to what once was no longer there. It was for the first time that he then felt what it truly meant to be lonely, alone. Unsure on what to do he managed to leave it all behind. He knew that he could never return to here he was from or what he once was so he had found this place and like Addy he too had been mysteriously drawn to it.

Addy was a walking contradiction in every way. Much like himself she was quiet and subdued one moment and in the nest fierce and fiery. She had a temper that amused him to no end. She was special; there was no mistake about that. He had managed to follow her sticking close to the shadows and staying silent. If she sensed him she made no move to let on but he figured that she was so focused on what she was doing she wouldn’t recognized it if she did. Something was calling to her. The same thing had happened to him before he had learned how to tune it out.

He watched as she seemed to skirt around what was left of the Reavers camp site, The Reavers who were still on the planet but had moved a way for a bit. They would be back he knew it was just a question of when. They were not ever easily discouraged. He watched as she completely by passed her ship which was odd as she was always so admit about getting back to it and he watched as she took the slight wore path to the water source that she liked to visit. He watched as she stopped just at the shoreline and just stood there. He was tempted to reach out to her in his mind but still wanted to see what she was going to do. Slowly as if in a trance she started to undress. He knew he shouldn’t watch, knew he would hear it if he was caught but was suddenly mesmerized by her movements. He knew it was an invasion of privacy and needed to look away but she stopped her movements as if she sensed something. She scanned the tree line and seemingly finding nothing she continued with her activities and this time he did look away. He didn’t have to watch every moment but he wasn’t going to leave her unprotected. If she insisted on a midnight swim then she was going to have a silent guard. He heard her as she almost silently slipped into the water. He turned his gaze to the sky as he kept his ears open and glanced at the stars. The tiny pin pricks of light so different from the ones he had grown to know. He once had a bit of control over those fleeting dots of light but he didn’t regret not having it now. Losing himself in the dark his attention was grabbed by her voice as she started to sing softly. Turning to watch just then he saw her neck deep in the water, her back to him and her head back as she too gazed at the starts. She had a soft sweet voice singing a lullaby he recognized from his own childhood and could help but smile slightly. She was always surprising him.

And in a second that peaceful, sweet innocent illusion was suddenly shattered.

It started with a sudden prickly of warning in the back of his head. It was dark, sinister and very very close. He heard her gasp and give out a shout as she suddenly was wrenched underwater with force. He never gave it another though running to the water’s edge and diving into the icy trench. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N It’s been a while I know but was inspired today and needed an escape. So my dear readers let me know what you think. Reads and reviews are always very very welcomed and I do hope you all stay healthy and safe during this crazy time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I know that it has been way too long but in light of current situations I kinda lost my will to write. I seem to have regained that for now and hopefully keep this momentum going. Please let me know what you think. 

**Chapter Nine**

She wasn’t sure what happened. The last thing she remembered was walking out into the outdoors. She had noticed the stars and she had noticed that nagging sensation in the back of her head. It was something calling her, guiding her so she did the only thing she could, she followed it. She followed it as it lead her down the path, she followed it as it lead her to the water’s edge and she even followed it as she slipped into the ice smooth inviting waters. She was at peace suddenly and felt herself give into the moment. A song from her childhood suddenly sprung to the forefront of her mind and she started to hum the tune. It took her back to a simpler time and it was one of her better childhood memories. It came from a place where she was once safe. In hindsight that should have been a clue as to what was about to happen. She had almost given in completely to the false sense of security that she almost missed the warning.

It happened so fast that she didn’t have much of a chance to react. Her peaceful world was suddenly shattered as something from beneath came and grabbed her pulling her under. Her first instinct was to fight against it. She thrashed and pulled as hard as she could, trying to reach the surface as she was pulled down even more. The more she struggled the harder it pulled. She started to tire and found her lungs burning due to the lack of air. She was then hit with a sudden sense of dread. It was as if all the joy and happiness was suddenly pulled from her, she felt empty, feeling the pull to give up. She stopped struggling letting it pull her further down the fight suddenly out of her. This was how it would end for her, alone on a foreign world with no one to miss her. She felt the urge to just close her eyes and let whatever it was to come. It was so close to the end she could feel it.

**“Fight it Princess!”** The voice reached her in her moment of pure despair **. “Fight it Damn it!”** The voice shouted at her. She felt a disturbance beside her but was so out of it at that moment it didn’t register what it was. She felt something grab her around the middle. It pulled at her while she felt herself slip into unconsciousness. The last thing she remembered before the darkness took over was a plea. **_“Please Addie, don’t go.”_**

**_**********_ **

He hadn’t even given it a second thought. He felt it as soon as she did. The only difference between the two of them was he knew what was about to happen. He had barely survived it himself. He wouldn’t let her go though. He never thought twice he just reacted and dove in after her. He could feel the fight in her as he looked through the murky water finally finding her. She was struggling but quickly losing the will to fight her. He would not let her give up. As quick as he could he swam to her side pulling her to him from around her waist and kicked up pleading with her in her head to keep fighting and to not give up. He felt her mind go quiet as she succumbed to unconsciousness. She only had moments before he would lose her forever. He wouldn’t let that happen. He would not lose someone again, he couldn’t. She was special, she was his salvation he could feel it. It was so much stronger than the last time.

“ ** _Please Addie, don’t go.”_** He begged her. A very familiar feeling over took him, a feeling of loss and desperation. He didn’t want to go through that again. Dragging her up on the shoreline he checked for a pulse which was there but really weak which meant he still had a chance. Pulling off his masks he checked her breathing, finding she wasn’t he started to give her breaths. One, two, in and out. Praying and pleading for her to breath. He started to push her chest anything to get her to breath. He went to go give her another breath when she suddenly gasp, her eyes flying open and she started to cough. It was the best sound he had ever heard. He rolled her to her side as she coughed up water rubbing her back waiting for her coughing to subside. When it did he brought her around to face him half pulling her into a sitting position. One arm was around her waist the other pushing wet hair from her face. They just watched each other for a moment. She was seeing him without his mask for the first time and he was holding his breath waiting for a reaction, any reaction. And she gave him one.

She suddenly bust into shaking, uncontrollable tears. He pulled her to him trying to shush the tears away just holding her tight to him as she sobbed into his chest. Kissing the crown of her head and whispering that it was okay now, he swore that she would never again feel the despair she knew she felt when she had been pulled under. He would do whatever needed to be done to get her through this. He just held onto her as her sobs started to end and she began to take shaking breaths. He soothed her until her breath finally grew even and she still clung to him. He would hold her like this for as long as it took for her to be okay. He needed her to be okay. Not just for her but for him. She was the first person he had had any contact in five years. She was the first person who truly didn’t know who he was. At that moment he realized that he needed her as much as she needed him.

He felt her move slightly and looked down to see that she was looking up at him. She had a look in her eyes that he couldn’t quiet identify. She looked defeated, tired, sad, scared and something else he couldn’t name. For a moment he thought that she had realized who he was and that scared him. He couldn’t handle it if she was suddenly afraid of him but then he felt a flicker of something else and his fear slid away. Instead she reached a trembling hand up to his face and traced the plains of his face with her fingers. She traced out the path where his face had been hidden with his now missing mask. She wasn’t shying away and he himself shivered slightly under her touch. Then he noticed just how cold she was, shakes raking her body. He realized then that she was still missing her clothes. Between that and the shock of what she had just gone through he wasn’t surprised. They still lay on the shoreline where she had left them when she had entered the water. He finally found his voice.

“Let’s go home.” He told her in a soft voice. She just responded with a slight nod, fatigue filled her eyes as she laid her back on his chest.

**********

When she woke up again this time from a dreamless sleep, she was in bed, a very warm cozy bed. She took a minute to fully wake up and to recall what had happened the night before. It was fuzzy to say the least. She remembered bits and pieces; she remembered the calling in the back of her head and blindly following it through the dark. She remembered the water and how it had pulled her down leaving her feeling lost, desolate and full of nothing, just empty. She had felt nothing. But then something had pulled her back from the brink. Something had anchored her to reality. She froze for a moment as her mind caught up to her and the real of the situation set in. That something that had anchored her was currently doing the same thing right now with his arm tight around her stomach and keeping her captive with her back against his chest. She didn’t move, didn’t dare as her mind was suddenly flooded with questions. What _had_ happened? Why was he in bed with her? And dear God did she have clothes on? Please let her have clothes on. A slight sigh sounded behind her as his arm tightened and his head seemed to snuggle slightly into her shoulder blades. Should she freak out? She felt like she should freak out and yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Maybe she should be freaking out about not freaking out. Maybe she should…

“Do you ever stop over thinking everything Princess?” He asked is a soft voice as he seemed to snuggle to her even more. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t like it. Truth was it was one of the few times she truly felt safe. Safe enough to let her guard down and safe enough to let someone else take on her burden with her. She felt his calming presents and demeanor, felt his reassurance. “You are safe Addie. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He whispered in her ear. She felt her emotions start to overtake her and tears started to come to the surface.

“What was that Ben? What happened?” She asked in a voice rough from the previous events. “What is wrong with me?” Tears started to stream down her face. She though they had all dried up at this point but they still came. He rolled her over onto her back so that he could look down at her. She realized then that he had laid on top of the blankets while she had been underneath and that they were both clothed. He brushed her tears away and tucked her hair behind her ears. Shaking his head slightly he spoke to her, pinning her to the bed with just his gaze.

“Nothing is wrong with you. Do you hear me nothing? This place, it’s connected to the dark side and it works at people like you and me to give in to it. It feeds off from your fear and doubts. But you are stronger than that. We can beat this. We will. I’ll teach you.”

“I hate it here. I never should have come. Everyone was right. I shouldn’t be here. I…”

“Shhh…” He quieted her. He cradled her to his chest as he tried to calm her nerves down. “Don’t let anyone tell you not to follow your instincts.”

“My instincts almost got me killed!” She wailed. She knew he was trying to help and that she was being unreasonable but she couldn’t help it.

“No, no my sweet thing. Do not doubt yourself. I’ve done enough of that in my life for the two of us. We will get through this. I promise.” He made sure to look her in the eyes to get his point across. He used his one hand to smooth back her hair and then to tip her chin so that he could really look at her. The other hand still rested around her. “I promise.” He repeated to her and she finally nodded her head in agreement. “Okay, now I want you to get some more sleep. I’m going to work on our next move.”

“ _Our_ next move?” She asked quietly. He nodded with a slight smile.

“Yes Princess, our.” He answered as she closed her eyes letting sleep take over. He kissed her forehead once more and watched her for a few more minutes before he moved, reluctantly but he did move. He knew what she was looking for, the start of the Jedi and Sith. where it all began. She felt that she needed to understand it for some reason. Maybe she didn’t know the reason but something was pushing her toward it. That determination he did understand.

As he stood at her bedside watching over her like the protector he now found himself being. He found that he didn’t mind it, in fact he found himself drawn to her unlike any, ever. His connection to her was much different than his connection to Rey to have been. With Rey it was curiosity mostly, a connection out of need and yes he owed her a lot and since that connection had eventually been severed he had missed that connection. But then Addie had come storming into his life and a connection had been reestablished. His guess was because of the planet. He couldn’t explain it but it was there and it was strong, much stronger than before. He not only was able to talk to her in his head but he felt her. Everything , he felt everything. It was overwhelming at times, that girl was brimming with emotions and even some he had never felt before. It was in a word enlightening. She had offered him something he had never really had experienced before, intimacy. He would help her figure out who she was, he would keep her safe and he would help her find what she was looking for. For that to happen he needed to find there next stop. It was time for them to leave and head to their next stop. It was time for Ben Solo, former Sith lord Kylo Ren to except what he once was, what he was now and to leave his self-induced isolation. It was time become the person he was always meant to be and atone to what he once was. 


End file.
